Slip-on tape cutter



Dec. 20, 1955 c D] CARLO SLIP-ON TAPE CUTTER Filed Jan. 16, 1953 INVENTOR 24 ram MD/ 64240 BY no mxub ATTORNEY United States Patent-O SLIP-N TAPE. CUTTER.

Carlton M. Di Carlo, Irvington,

\ N. J., assignor to Permacel Tapofiorporation,

a corporation of New Jersey Application January 16, 1953, Serial No..331,619 Claims. (Cl'. 1 4-845 relates to tape cutters for a particularly to cutters which can be pressure-sensitive tape of various ditape cutter which can be slidably positioned along, the

peri'phery ofi a rollof pressure-sensitive tape, which further includes means for gripping relatively small porti'ons'of the roll sidesadjacent its periphery. This. means, by virtue of its small contact area with the roll, maintains a good grip regardless of irregularities in the sides of the roll, and by virtue of its peripheral contact. will hold the; cutter on the roll even when a very small amount oftape; remainsto be dispensed.

Other and; further objects of the invention will be. apparent from the following description and attached claims; taken together with. the; drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an. isometric view' of a. cutter of this in.- vention held on the periphery of a roll of tape.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of said cutter.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the, lihe' 3'3 of i Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a. bottom plan view of the invention. Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line. 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a schematic sectional view' taken along the line 6-6" of Figure 3.

The cutter 11 of this invention comprises a front transverse portion 12' and a rear transverse portion 13 which are adapted'to contact spaced portions, y and x. of: of tape and side walls 17 and 18 the periphery of a roll disposed at opposite ends of the portions 12 and 13. These portions include a digital holding; platform 14 which is shown. aspart ofthe rear portion 13. A transverse cutting edge 15 is located at the end of the up wardlye'xtending extremity 16 of the portion 1-3. When thecutter is positioned on the periphery of a roll of tape resting on the portions 12 and 13,,the side walls-1 7 and 18 extend downwardly over the sides of the tape roll. These downwardly extendingportions have slots 19-underneath theportion 12: extending rearwardly to define a. pair of ears 21 and 22. These ears are. resilient and include at their extremities side-engaging portions or knobs 24 and which extend inwardly toward the tape roll. In their normal positions, 21 and 22 are separated by a space which is slightly greater than the width of the tape roll 10, while the knobs 24 and 25 in this position of the ears define a distance between them which is slightly less than the width of the roll. To position the cutter on the roll, the cars 21 and 22 are flexed outwardly as shown at 26 in Figure 6, the roll is inserted between them to contact the front and rear transverse portions 12 and 13, and the knobs, or side-engaging portions, 24 and 25 press against the sides of the roll as the ears tend to return to their normal positions. Thus the spring action of the ears, acting through the knobs 24 and 25, holds the cutter on the roll; and since the knobs require a very small area the resilient ears 2,727,572 Pt Iterated Dec. 20, 1955 2 roll; the cutter will be heldfirmlythereto regardless of slight irregularities in; the roll si'd'es. On the other hand, the pressure exerted by the knobs 24 and 25 on the sides of the roll must not be so great as to prevent slidablyrepositioning the cutter on the periphery of the roll.

In operation the cutter is placed on the roll as described immediately aboveand; is positioned for cuttihg by sliding it along; the periphery of the rolli The cutter-can he slid forward by fingerpressure in that direction" against the holding platform 14 and backward by a pulling motion of a finger or thumb inserted in the re cess 27; The front and rear portions 12 and 13' and the surfaces of the knobs 24 and 25 are shaped to facilitate this sliding" movement; as shown" in some detail in the drawings. When the cutter has been positioned, it is held downwardly against the roll by thumb or finger pressure upon the platform 14'. The desired length of tape 28 is then picked up with the other hand; pulled back against the cutting edge 15 as shown at 29 and: severed by a tearing action against this edge. The cutter then can. he slid easily to a new position on the roll tosuit the next length of tape to be severed. As the. tape is used, the roll will decrease in diameter, and the radial'height of its sides will become less and less as the, roll approaches the size of the carrying. spool 31'. Since the knobs or side engagi'ng portions 24 and 25' grip the sides of the roll adjacent its periphery, they will continue todo so as the roll decreases in diameter, finally engaging the. spool 31 as the last section of tape is: used.

The cutter 11' is preferably of resilient plastic, but may be formed of any suitable resilient material" includinga metal; lfpl'asti'c is used, the cutter may he integrally molded intoa unit havingrelatively good dimensional; stahilltyand durability with a naturally smooth finish on thespool engagingportions 12, 13, 24 and'25'to adapt'them for slidable contact with the roll. By virtue of their plastic memory the ears 21 of contact with the fixedly positioned or repositioned toaccommodate rolls offthe roll as such. an. can on one side of. the roll could.

exentpressure on this side, such that, the. cutter would; helheld ontheroll by this pressure on one side and. thereaetiomofthe. opposite side wallon the other side.

Itv will. be. seen. that I have. provide a. simple andv inex pensive cutter which may be snappedon and off arch of tape for positioning along its periphery, and which is held in slidable contact with the periphery and sides of the roll by virtue of its spaced transverse portions 12 and 13 and its resiliently engaging knobs 24 and 25. The knobs 24 and 25 press against relatively small portions of the sides of the roll in a resilient fashion to assure that the cutter will be slidably held in position despite the irregularities in the sides of the roll. Since the portions 24 and 25 grip the sides of the roll adjacent its periphery, their holding action is equally cifective whether the cutter is used with a full roll or one almost empty, as described more particularly hereinbefore.

For best results and to prevent backlash of the tape after the cutting operation, side walls 17 and 18 are extended forwardly and slightly inwardly into extensions 17A and 18A, respectively, at the ends of the cutting edge.

It is, also, not en These extensions are separated by a space which is slightly narrower than the width of the tape. Thus, the tape is bent slightly inwardly just prior to reaching the cutting edge and is retained near the edge after the cutting operation by virtue of its contact with one of the extensions as the tape tends to move outwardly to straighten itself.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cutting device for a roll of tape, comprising front and rear transverse portions adapted for slidably contacting spaced peripheral areas of said roll, said portions including a digital holding platform and said front portion carrying a transverse cutting edge spaced from the periphery of said roll, opposed side walls disposed across corresponding ends of and extending downwardly from said front and rear portions, one of said walls having a slot under said front portion extending rearwardly to define an ear on one side of said roll adjacent its periphery, said ear being resilient and normally spaced from the opposite wall to define with said wall a recess slightly wider than said roll, and a relatively small side-engaging portion adjacent the forward end of said ear extending inwardly in the. normal position of the ear to define with said opposite wall a space narrower than said roll, whereby said ear may be flexed outwardly to allow a tape roll to be placed between the ear and the opposite wall in contact with said transverse portions and said side-engaging portion will press inwardly against one side of the roll adjacent its periphery as said ear attempts to return to its normal position.

2. A cutting device for a roll of tape, comprising front and rear transverse portions adapted for slidably contacting spaced peripheral areas of said roll, said portions including a digital holding platform and said front portion carrying a transverse cutting edge spaced from the periphery of said roll, opposed side walls disposed across corresponding ends of and extending downwardly from said front and rear portions, said walls having slots under said front portion extending rearwardly to define ears on each side of said roll adjacent its periphery, said ears being resilient and normally spaced from one another to define a recess slightly wider than said roll, and relatively small side-engaging portions adjacent the forward ends of said ears extending inwardly in the normal position of the ears to define a space between them narrower than said roll, whereby said ears may be flexed outwardly to allow a tape roll to be placed between them in contact with said transverse portions and said side-engaging portions will press inwardly against the sides of the roll adjacent its periphery as said ears attempt to return to their normal positions.

3. A cutting device for a roll of tape, comprising front and rear transverse portions adapted for slidably contacting spaced peripheral areas of said roll, said portions including a digital holding platform, a transverse cutting edge at the front end of the device spaced from the peripheral surface of said roll, opposed flanges depending from the rear of said device on either side of said roll, a resilient finger on one of said flanges extending forwardly from the rear of the device to a point subjacent said front transverse portion, the end of said finger and said opposite flange being normally spaced from one another by an amount defining a recess between them slightly wider than said roll, and a side-engaging portion on the front end of said finger extending inwardly in the normal position of the finger to define with said opposite flange a space between them narrower than said roll, whereby said finger may be flexed outwardly to allow a tape roll to be placed in said recess and then the finger may be released to allow the side-engaging portion to grip the side of the roll.

4. A cutting device for a roll of tape, comprising front and rear transverse portions adapted for slidably contacting spaced peripheral areas of said roll, said portions ineluding a digital holding platform, a transverse cutting edge at the front end of the device spaced from the peripheral surface of said roll, opposed flanges depending from the rear of said device on either side of said roll, a resilient finger on one of said flanges extending forwardly from the rear of the device to a point subjacent said front transverse portion, the end of said finger and said opposite flange being normally spaced from one another by an amount defining a recess between them slightly wider than said roll, and a relatively small side-engaging portion on the front end of said finger adjacent the periphery of the roll and extending inwardly in the normal position of the finger to define with said opposite flange a space between them narrower than said roll, whereby said finger may be flexed outwardly to allow a tape roll to be placed in said recess and then the finger may be released to allow the side-engaging portion to grip the side of the roll.

5. A cutting device for a roll of tape, comprising front and rear transverse portions adapted for slidably contacting spaced peripheral areas of said roll, said portions including a digital holding platform, a transverse cutting edge at the front end of the device spaced from the peripheral surface of said roll, opposed flanges depending from the rear of said device on either side of said roll, a resilient finger on each of said flanges extending forwardly from the rear of the device to a point subjacent said front transverse portion, said fingers being normally spaced from one another by an amount defining a recess between them slightly wider than said roll, and a sideengaging portion on the front end of each of said fingers extending inwardly in the normal position of the fingers to define a space between them narrower than said roll whereby said fingers may be flexed outwardly to allow a tape roll to be placed in said recess and then the fingers may be released to allow the side-engaging portions to grip the roll between them.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,059,100 Allen Apr. 15, 1913 1,076,183 Auger Oct. 21, 1913 2,100,551 Reiter Nov. 30, 1939 2,475,021 Gibbons et al July 5, 1949 2,626,666 Coldiron Jan. 27, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 157,520 Great Britain Ian. 27, 1921 

